Improvement in fulling-mills



q1 FFICEL RUDOLF EICKEMEYER, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

IM PROVEM ENT IN FU LLlNG-NHLLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 195,810, dated October2, 1877; application filed June 23, 1877.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLF Eroirniinvnn, of the city of Yonkers, in thecounty of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Fulling-Mills; and I do hereby declare thatthe following speciflcation, taken in connection with the drawingsfurnished, and forming a part of the same, is a clear, true, andcomplete description thereof.

My improvements relate to that class of fulling-lnills in whichfallingbeaters are employed, in contradistinction to the roller-machine class,and also to those having vibratory or swinging beaters.

The object of my invention, broadly stated, is to increase the generalefiiciency and durability of beater-mills.

The main feature of my invention consists in the combination, with thebeater and a liftingboard hinged thereto, of continuously-drivenlifting-rolls, one of which is mounted upon a pivoted "frame, and arevolving cam-shaft, which intermittingly vibrates the frame, wherebythe board is first compressed between the rolls, and the beater liftedby their motion and then permitted to drop, the rolls meantimerevolving. By means of this mechanism the rolls gradually bite upon theboard, and lift the beater by a smooth and easy motion.

The combination of mechanism already re cited includes no means wherebythe character of the beat may be varied. rIhis result has heretoforebeen attained by having the beater lifted only to such a height as wouldresult in a desired beat; but, so far as my knowledge eXtends,no millhas been heretofore constructed in which the drop could be lessened andthe beats made more rapidly without increasing the speed of the drivingmechanism of the mill. As heretofore constructed, although the beatersmight be working lightly7 the mill would be subjected to harder usagethan when the beaters were working heavily, because of the increasedspeed. In my improved mill, although the speed of the driving-shaft isuniform, the beaters may be lifted to full height, or to any lesserextent required, and the beats made more frequently, and in proportionto the lift of the beater; and another feature of my invention consistsin the combination, with the beater, the lifting-board, lifting-rolls,and vibrating frame, of adjustable mechanism for vibrating the framewith any required interval between the vibrations, whereby theliftingrolls are made to engage with the lifting-board for a longer or ashorter time, according to the height of lift required.

The vibrating mechanism preferred by me is a shaft which is driven byvariable gearing, and may be revolved at any desired speed, and has acam or cams thereon, which, at each revolution, cause the roller-frameto vibrate. A desirable degree of adjustability may also be attained bymeans of a shaft revolving at a uniform speed, and a cam or camsthereon, having two or more operating-faces for engaging with theroller-frame, so that two or more vibrations of the frame may beeffected at each revolution of the cam-shaft. In the one case the beltor tooth gearing will require adjustment, while in the other it willrequire the selection of the proper cams from a series, and theiradjustment on the shaft; or a cam constructed in adjustable sections maybe employed, which will enable it to operate as a single, double, ortriple faced cam, according to the position on the shaft of the sectionswith relation to each other, they being capable of such adjustment thatthey will operate as one face, say, for one-sixth of a revolution, or asthree faces equidistant from each other around the axis of the shaft,each operating against the frame for one-sixth of a revolution, andcausing three lifts of the beater at each revolution of the cam-shaft.

The practical efficiency of a fulling-mill is largely increased if it beconstructed so that parts specially liable to wear maybe easilyreplaced, or adjusted to compensate for wear, or capable of good serviceeven after such parts have become considerably worn and to these ends myinvention furtherconsists in the combination, with the lifting-board andthe beater, of a metallic frame, which incloses the board and clamps itto the helve of the beater, and which admits of the ready removal of aworn board and the substitution of a new one; and, further, in thecombination, with the vibrating frame and its roller, of a spring whichforces the roll into contact with the board, whether the latter be newor worn at some points more than at others; and, further, in thccombination, with the vibrating' frame, of a liftingroller mounted onthe frame in boxes which have axes transverse to thv axis of the roll,whereby, although one edg'e of the board be worn thinner than the other,the rolls will have a firm bite thereon from edge to edge; and, further,in the combination, with the vibrating frame and its springs, ofadjusting-screws, whereby thv yielding' pressure of thv roll upon theboard may be increased or lessened.

The durabilityY of such mills is largely increased by having' thelifting mechanism so constructed that in lifting' thv beater anddropping it there shall be no undue shock; and my invention'furtherconsists in thv colnbination, with the beater and thv lifting-board, ofelastic cushions or springs below thv board, which bear thv weight ofthe beater as it is lifted; and, further, in the combination, with thebeater and the litting-board, of elastic cusllions or spring's, whichare interposed between the board and thv helve of thv beater, whereby,when the beater is dropped, these springs or cushions will receive thvforce of the drop due to thv weight of the board.

To more particularly describe my invention I will refer to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents, in verticallongitudinal section, a fulling-mill embodying' the several featlues ofmy invention. Fig'. 2 represents the same in top view. Fig. 3 representsthe vibrating roller-frame detached. Fig'. 4 represents thelifting-board detached from the mill.

The driving-shaft at A is mounted in the upper part of the frame a insuitable boxes, and is provided with a driving-pulley, b.

The lifting-rollers are shown at B and B. The roll B is mounted on thedriving-shaft A, and roll B is parallel therewith, mounted on thevibrating frame C, and driven by gearing from the main shaft A.

D denotes the lifting-board, which is attached to the bvater-helvvs, andextends upward between the lifting-rolls l5 13'. 1) denotes the beater.E denotes a cam-shaft, which vibraties the frame C to and fro, andcauses the lifting-rolls to bite upon the liftingboards and lift thebeat-er, and then to release the board and permit the beater to fall.

The two sides of the vibrating' frame C are pivoted to the frame a ofthe mill by a rod or shaft, c. Each of the side pieces of the frame hasa box, as at 1, for the journals of roll B. The boxes d arc providedwith axes which are transverse to the axis of the roll, which permitsthe side pieces to bv unequally moved without causing the roll-journalsto bind in their boxes, and permits the rolls to properly engage withthe lifting-boanl, even if it be worn thinner at one edge than at theother.

Each side piece has also a pendent lever, as at e, pivoted at e. Attheir lower ends the two levers e are connected by a cross-rod, f, whichalso serves as an axis for two frictionrollers, g, one of which is atthe foot of each lever.

Near the lower vnd of each side piece of the frame (l is a rod or pin,h, which projects through an opening' in the adjacent lever e, and isencircled with an expansive spring, which has an abutment at one endagainst the surface ofthe lever, and at the other against a washer,which is held in place on the rod by nuts, in a manner well known.

An adjlisting-screw at t' passes through a threaded hole in the lever,and abuts endwise against the lever, so that the yielding pressure oftheroll B against the lifting-board luay bv properly adjusted.

The cam-shaft E has boxes at each side of thv frame n, below the mainshaft and parallel with it. ln this instance the cam-shaft is shown tobe driven by a belt on the grooved conc-pulleys k It', the latter beingon the main shaft A. The cam-shaft has two counterpart cams, I, eachbeing' opposite and arranged to engage with friction-roller g on pendentlever e.

Constructed as thus far described, it will be seen that the revolutionof the main shaft and roll B in thv direction of the arrow will causethe roll B to revolve in the opposite direction, the cam-shaft meantimerevolving, and that when the cams I engage with the friction-rollers gthe frame (l will be vibrated, the lower end being' moved away from thecams, and the roll on the upper end moved toward its fellow into closefrictional contact with the lifting-board l), which is thereby drawnupward, lifting the beater; and it will also be evident that thislifting action will continue so long as the cams continue in forciblecontact with the vibrating frame through its levers, but that the momentthe cams in their revolution cease said contact the roll B will moveoutward and permit the beater to fall. lt will also be sven that theheight of the lift maybe varied by using cams suited to each particularheight required, or that it may be attained by varying' thv speed of thecam-shaft without changing' the speed of the lifting-rolls, and this isthe method illustrated in the drawings. By shifting the belt on thecone-pulleys the cam-shaft may be revolved at quick or low speed, andtheretore the time during which the lifting-rolls operate as such willbe proportionately lessened or increased, which will secure such a lit'tas may be required.

I have previously referred to a sectional cam for use in thisconnection. lt will be seen, for instance, that if the cams l had twoopposite working faves of one-half the length shown, or, say, ninetydegrees each7 at each revolution of the shaft, two lifts would be madeinstead of one, and that each lift would be one-half as high as if thecam shown were employed. The friction-rollers have broad faces, andtherefore the cams may be made in sections placed side by side on thecam-shaft, and each provided with a set-screw for separate adjustmentrotatively on the shaft. It will be seen that if, for instance7 three ofsuch sections be employed, each having a face of, say, sixty degrees,they may be so adjusted as to operate as a cam with three faces, whichwould at each revolution of the cam-shaft result in three short lifts,or that they may be so adjusted as to operate as a cam, with one facevarying in extent om sixty to one himdred and eighty degrees. There arevarious other well-known mechanical arrangements by which the vibrationof the frame may be adjustably varied, and I do not, therefore, limitthat feature of my invention to any particular construction of themechanism by which the vibration of the frame is accomplished.

Although the action of the rollers upon the lifting-board is easy andgradual, itis important that a yielding connection be employed betweenthe lifting-board and the beater. In Fig. 4 the beater-helves are shownin section at m, with a cross-bar, m', secured to their lower edges neartheir ends. The wooden portion of the lifting-board at n is embracedwithin ametallic frame, nl, composed of a length of round iron forged orbent to conform to the sides and top of the wooden board and to occupy agroove therein. A cross-bar, n2, serves as a base for the wooden boardn, and it is provided with holes, through which the two parallel sidesof the frame extend downward to a point below the helves. Each side ofthe frame nl constitutes a threaded rod, which is provided with asleeve, o, next below the cross-bar n2, a washer beneath sleeve o, asleeve, o2, beneath the washer, and a spring, as at p, between thewasher and the upper surface of the cross-bar m', which is attached tothe beater-helves m. Below the cross-bar, and surrounding the sleeve 02,is another spring or cushion, as at q, which is compressed between thelower surfaceof the cross-bar and a washer backed by n uts on thethreaded ends of the board-frame.

It will be seen that with this construction the nuts on the ends of theframe will slightly compress the springs, and that the upper spring willreceive the shock due to the weight of the lifting-board when the beaterfalls, and

that when the beater is lifted the lower springs will sustain the weightof the beater. The holes in the cross-bar m through which the sleevedportions of the frame pass are of suflicient size to permit thelifting-board to freely operate and to freely change its position withrelation to the cross-bar during the upward and downward movement, thussecuring a connection between the lifting-board and beater which has thecharacteristics of a hinge-joint.

The wooden portion of the lifting-board, when worn out, may be readilyremoved and a new one substituted, and the yielding pressure of thevibrating frame secures successful operation even if the board beunevenly worn.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with afulling-mill beater and alifting-board hinged to the beater, of continuously-drivenlifting-rolls, a vibrating frame, and a cam-shaft, substantially asdescribed, whereby the rolls are made to alternately compress thelifting-board for lifting the beater, and to release the board forpermitting the beater to fall, as set forth.

2. The combination, with a fulling-mill beater its lifting-board, thecontinuouslyrevolving lifting-rolls, and a vibrating frame, ofadjustable mechanism, substantially as described, for vibrating theframe at desired intervals, substantially as set forth, whereby thebeater may be lifted much or little, and the number of beats in a giventime increased or lessened, without varying the speed of thelifting-rolls.

3. In a falling-mill, a lifting-board provided with a frame whichincloses the wooden portion thereof, substantially as described, wherebythe wooden portion may be readily removed when worn and a new onesubstituted.

4. The combination, with lifting-rolls which engage with thelifting-board in a fulling-mill, of a vibrating frame which supports oneof said rolls, and springs or cushions which afford a yielding` pressureof the roll on the liftingboard, substantially as described.

5. The combination, of the vibrating frame and a lifting-roll mounted insaid frame in journal-boxes provided with axes which are transverse tothe axis of the lifting-roll, substantially as described, whereby theroll may effectively engage with a lifting-board which is thicker at oneedge than at the other, as set forth.

6. rlhe combination, with the vibratingframe, its lifting-roll, and itssprings, of adjustingscrews for graduating the pressure of thelifting-roll, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a fulling-mill beater and a lifting-board, of aspring or cushion below the board which supports the weight of thebeater, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

8. The combination, with afulling-millbeater and a lifting-board, of aspring or cushion which supports the weight of the lifting-board,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

' RUDOLF EICKEMEYER.

Witnesses G. OSTERHELD, GEORGE NARR.

